Akwa Ibomites Raise Alarm Over Abandoned Ibom Science Park, Demand Reopening

Residents and indigenes of Akwa Ibom State have decried the abandonment of the proposed Ibom Science Park Project situated along the Uyo Village Road in Itu Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

The N5.8 billion project was instituted by a former Governor of the State, Victor Attah, and was supposed to be the beginning of the technical and scientific growth in the state.

Attah flagged off this project in 2006, stating that it will attract potential companies and individuals to the state and this would in turn bring about the much-wanted growth in the State.

“To create an enabling environment for startups, small and medium scale enterprises, SMEs as well as be the harbinger of industrial revolution to the state.”

Today, seventeen years down the line, the site of this project has been overtaken by grass and the buildings dilapidated due to their abandonment.

It is, however, worthy of note that in 2019, the immediate past Governor, Udom Emmanuel flagged off the opening of the park a second time, assuring residents that the project was going to continue.

He disclosed that it was going to be handled by Blue Sea International Holdings Company, curiously, up till date, the park has not recorded any activity.

In an interview with Kristina Reports, citizens registered their displeasure over the situation and urged the government to do something about it as the science park would be of huge advantage to the economy of the state and the country at large.

Ndiana Wilson said he used to work with NITEL as of 2006 when Governor Attah founded the science park.

According to him, with his technical knowledge, he had assumed that he would transition and gain employment at the science park but that did not happen. He said he sent in applications but never heard back and gradually, he forgot about it.

“I was very happy when Attah founded the park. At that time NITEL was laying off a lot of us so I had hoped that I would work at the science park and not just me, I and about three other colleagues.

But that didn’t happen. We don’t know why but the place never really functioned and we never got to work there.”

Ekom Ekpo explained that he was still very young when the science park was founded and he had heard about the great things that will happen in the state as a result of the park.

He expressed shock and pleaded with the present administration to please look into reviving the project as it will open doors of employment and economic growth as well as increase the human capital in the state as this seems to be top on the list of the ARISE Agenda.

“I am convinced that this science park is an absolute gold mine. If the present administration should look into it, there are so many things that could be achieved.

Akwa Ibom will be one of the richest states in the country, financially and in human capital as well. So much money has supposedly been put into that project. Let it not go to waste.”